2017 Events

VICTORIA

Date: August 5th - August 11th 2017

Event name: Dying to Know Week at Remembrance Parks Central Victoria

Event details: At RPCV we are turning Dying to Know Day into an entire week jam packed full of different activities, information stalls, guest speakers and even a cinema screening. Our main expo day will occur on the official dying to know day (August 8th) at our Eaglehawk Remembrance Park.The day will include crematoria tours, information stalls and guest speakers generating community conversations and curiosity toward end of life planning.

We live in a society that is safe, abundant and free. But it’s also a society in which we long ago gave away our connection with death and dying. We’ve outsourced it to nursing homes and funeral corporations. We’ve lost knowledge, traditions and rituals. One of the biggest things we’ve lost is choice – choice in how we die and choice in how we are farewelled.

But what if there was a new choice – to live forever. Would you take it?

At this Death Dinner Party winter feast, two very different speakers – an end-of-life consultant and a molecular biologist and transhumanist – will talk to us about death and choice: from making empowered, meaningful decisions about how we die, through to the ultimate choice – to not die at all.

Event details: The Eastern Metropolitan Region Palliative Care Consortium is coordinating an event for D2KDay which is on August 8. An Information booth will be set up in the foyer of Wantirna Health from 9:00am - 2:00pm.The booth will be staffed by volunteers and staff from several services across the Eastern Region including Eastern Health,Eastern Palliative Care,Caritas Christi Hospice,Fernlea House,Home InsteadHeritage & Heritage Funerals

The intent is to assist people to start a conversation about advance care planning and end of life care. Please encourage your clients to call in for a chat with experienced staff and volunteers.The event is being kindly sponsored by Heritage & Heritage Funerals providing a free cup of coffee from the café for people who come to us for a chat.

Event details: In our D2KDay event we are planning to have small group discussions about death and dying using the dying to talk discussion starters, D2K card set and chatterboxes. This event is running at the local Community Centre and will be hosted by the Warrnambool and District Community Hospice Manager and Volunteers.

Event details: Palliative Care South East will have a pop up stall in Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, Narre Warren. Our staff and volunteers will man the stall. We will have brochures and information available to help people to start conversations with loved ones about their wishes. We will have activities such as colouring competitions, chatterboxes, postcards and a tree of life to pin a message on.

Event details: The Art of A Good Death invites everyone to bring their questions to a panel of experts — hospital chaplain Sacha McDonald, artist Mary Burgess of Woven Memories and funeral director Nigel Davies. We will be asking them what they wished people knew about Death and Dying, and presenting them with audience questions - as many as time permits.This is the second panel discussion - last year's conversation was engaging and challenging. We would hope that this year will be even more so.Supper will be served afterwards. $15/$5

Event details: As a lead up to 2017 Dying to Know Day, Shanna Provost joins Community 2EARfm radio DJ Time Burke in Tim's Spare Room to have a light-hearted but serious chat about 'The Big Full Stop'. We'll be playing our favourite 'death' songs, telling stories and providing information from 5-8pm. The phone line (02) 4474 3443 will be open to chat, ask, tell a tale.

Venue address: On Air @ Community Radio 2EARfm in Moruya New South Wales

Event details: This is an opportunity for our community to come and see Tender Funerals now that we are open and operational. Join us for 90 minutes at the Tender Funerals Fire Station for an educational talk on how you can have an empowered, personalised and community driven funeral, followed by a tour of the building and our mortuary. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get to know our funeral directors Jenny Briscoe-Hough and Amy Sagar. Come and join our Tender community for Dying To Know Day!

Event details: What do you want to know? We don't like to talk about death, especially our own, but it's a conversation that we need to have. If you're confused about the legalities or how you want to be remembered, come along and get your questions answered!

Guests include:Asha Dooley, Funeral Director from Blue Mountains FuneralsKatherine Howes, Lawyer from Digital Age LawyersNimmi Woods, Funeral CelebrantLinda Campbell, End of Life Doula from Walking with You

Event details: Informal get-together in a quiet space where people can share experiences, ask questions and have a conversation about death and dying. Tea/coffee and treats are available for purchase. The event will be facilitated by Michael Barbato, a retired palliative care doctor

Event details: Join us for an afternoon of cake, coffee and conversation as we open up the subject of death and dying and all things in between. The object is to open up conversation about a topic often made awkward and misunderstood in modern society, so we’re often left with questions unanswered or misinterpreted.

This is a discussion not a therapy session or platform for specific ideas or opinions. Jessica Raschke will start the conversation and be on hand to guide or clarify where needed.

Jessica Raschke is a funeral celebrant, writer, artist and editor of The Soul Spectrum who lives in the Southern Highlands. Jessica has officiated many funeral services in the local area, and has been trained as a Deathwalker by Zenith Virago. As a soulful, warm and compassionate woman with highly sensitive listening and communication skills, her special sensibility complements the needs of sad and grieving families. Her work is driven by the search for life’s many deeper meanings. Her key passions include exploring the realms of death, dying and the afterlife, as well as concepts of ‘soul’. Her website (www.thesoulspectrum.com), is an ongoing labour of love, which features long-form conversations with people living soulful lives.

“To truly live, we must first confront and conquer our fear of death”~ Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda

Fear of death is a major cause of human suffering. Would you like to live a joyful, purposeful life and face death fearlessly? Explore the yogic perspective of death. Be inspired by powerful stories of ordinary people's extraordinary passing. Take practical steps towards creating a conscious death plan for yourself and learn how to support loved ones on the ultimate journey. Bring your questions! Our panel have a wealth of wisdom and real life experience to share.

= Meet The Panel =Bring your questions, our speakers have a wealth of wisdom and real life experience to share.

Radha Krishna Das has studied and taught yoga philosophy for 40 years and has immersed himself in the yogic perspective on life and death. He has been present and assisted at the successful passing of yogis, friends and family members.

Caitanya Das has been living with advanced cancer for 15 years. Through meditation and yoga wisdom, he has overcome his fear of death and learned to live life more joyfully.

Maladhar Dasi has intimate knowledge of the dying process and can expertly assist people in knowing what to expect, how to create a plan for a conscious death and how family members can support a loved one who is dying. Maladhar Dasi has assisted many people to die like yogis and has created a sanctuary where people can come to die in a peaceful, conscious way.

Event details: Just as fallen leaves nourish the earth, a death can enrich love, relationships and connections- the human story that lies between birth and death. This is an intergenerational collaboration exploring death and renewal through the eyes of high school student photographers. Over series of 6 workshops, the students will be mentored by master photographer and elder, Colin Beard.

The developing artists will exhibit their work as part of this year's Dying to Know Day (8th August) at The Shared in Yandina and Horizon Festival (25th August to 3rd September) at Nambour Social and The Old Ambo.

Colin Beard is regarded as one of Australia’s foremost creative photographers. His decorated career commenced in the 1960s photographing rock legends including The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin & The Doors. His work in fashion, lifestyle and travel magazines such as the Bulletin, Vogue, Dolly, Cleo, Go-Set and Australian Geographic, has set new benchmarks in fashion photography and reportage. Books such as The Mountain Men, The River People, Sacred Places and Starlight’s Trail reflect his deep interest in landscape and social commentary.

ACT

Date: 9 August 2017

Event name: Life Stories Breakfast

Event details: Palliative Care ACT is holding a fundraising breakfast to relaunch their Life Stories Program. Join us for a delicious breakfast at Hotel Realm on Wednesday 9 August at 7am. We have the lovely Jean Kittson, Australian performer, writer and comedian as our keynote speaker. Jean is also a women's health advocate and presents a lighter tone on the issue of death and dying and wants people to start the talk before it’s too late.

Tasmania

Date: 06.08.2017

Event name: Dying to Know

Event details:

Join us for an educational seminar entitled “Dying to Know”. Sunday 6th August 2017, Moonah Arts Centre9.45am – 3.00pmWe have an amazing line up of dedicated and passionate speakers for you to hear from and you will have the opportunity to ask all questions you’ve always thought about.* Jencie Harrington – Tierney Law* Carolyn Singh – Integrity of Care* Lynne Jarvis – Jumave Natural Death Care * Mea Souris – Peace Pods.... and more!

Event details: Join us for an hour of 'myth busting' the dying, death, funerals and disposition space followed by a BBQ. With a take on the ABC show of a similar name, come with a question in mind you would only be game to Google, as we seek answers from some local talent and each other. You may be surprised by what you already know and even more surprised at what you may learn and be able to share with family and friends.

Paper supplied for questions to be anonymously written on and a box to toss it into!

Event details: At our 100 bed residential care facility, Barossa Village Residency, we will have nursing staff and palliative care volunteers available to talk with residents either privately in their room if they wish or at our cafe. At the cafe which is at our main reception entrance we will put up posters and have brochures of info regarding advanced care directives. We will utilize info from D2D.

NEW ZEALAND

Date: Saturday 05 August 2017

Event name: Dying to Know Day Gathering at a Hotel

Event details:

> Welcome and introduction to session> Starter resources on tables> Individuals free to choose their preferred table> Individuals free to use the starter resources as an initial discussion trigger> Individuals free to join other tables/swop tables> A group 'round up' at the end to enable participants to share anything they wish> Wrap up